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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Suriname is a country in the northern part of
South America. It is bordered by French Guiana to the east, Guyana to
the west and Brazil to the south. Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname.
The historic inner city of Paramaribo has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since
2002.

One of the city’s most notable buildings is the
17th-century Fort Zeelandia, built to protect the Dutch West India Company from
European rivals.

Stamps

This turtle stamp is part of a set of 12 stamps issued
2007, picturing reptiles.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Alderney, the third largest of the Channel Islands, is located just 8 miles off the Normandy coast of France, and is the nearest to the
mainland of Britain. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown
dependency. Alderney is some five kilometers (3.5 mi) long and three kilometers
(1.5 mi) at its widest point, with a population of only 2,400.

Longis Bay is on the south-east coast and has a
wide, half-mile sandy beach. It is protected from winds by a long wall built
during the German Occupation.

Stamps

Alderney
issues its own stamps.

(left) Corals and Anemones definitives, issued 2006.

(right) In 2011 Alderney issued a set of six stamps
picturing Alderney Hawkmoths.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Iolani Palace was the official residence of the
Hawaiian Kingdom’s last two monarchs from 1882 to 1893: King Kalakaua and his
sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani.

In 1893, a provisional U.S. government was established
after opposition forces overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. The Hawaiian Islands
were eventually annexed as a United States Territory in 1898. Hawaii became the
50th state in 1959.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Paris, the capital and largest city of France. There is not much change you haven’t heard of the French capital's most beloved landmark: the Eiffel Tower. More than 7 million people visit this iconic tower every year. More than 250 million people since its opening in 1889.

The tower rises 300 meters tall and when it was completed at the end of the 19th century it was the tallest structure in the world. The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution in 1789. The man behind the Eiffel Tower was Gustave Eiffel.

Friday, July 19, 2013

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency
in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. Saint Peter Port is
the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. With
its cobbled streets and picturesque seafront marina, it is easy to see why St
Peter Port is considered one of Europe's prettiest harbour towns.

Stamps

A 2012 Europa stamp, themed “visit”. Vazon Bay,
Guernsey's largest beach which stretches over two miles and faces west to the
Atlantic with nothing lying between it and the coast of Canada.

The other stamp depicts a great bindweed flower,
issued 2008 as part of a larger set, all picturing flowers.

Stockholm is the capital and most populous city of Sweden,
spreading out over 14 islands in Lake Mälaren and looks out to the Baltic Sea
to the east.

Old Town (Gamla Stan) is the Stockholm’s original
city centre. It dates back to the 13th century but most buildings are from the
17- and 1800s. It’s a labyrinth of charming cobbled streets, alleyways, faded
mustard and rust coloured town houses and meeting squares reflecting north
German architecture.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Reykjavík is
the capital Iceland and the largest city with a population of
120,000. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe, with less
than three inhabitants per square kilometer. Despite the name, “ice” only
covers about 10% of the land, but still represents the largest glaciers left in
Europe.

Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and its most
populous city, with over 1.2 million inhabitants.

Nyhavn (New Harbour) was originally a busy commercial port
where ships from all over the world would dock. The area was
packed with sailors, ladies of pleasure, pubs and beerhouses. Today the
beautiful old houses have been renovated and classy restaurants
dominate the old port. Nyhavn is filled with people enjoying the relaxed
atmosphere by the canal, jazz music and great food.

Did you know that famous fairy-tale writer Hans
Christian Andersen used to live in Nyhavn?

Amsterdam is
the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, although Amsterdam is
not the seat of the Dutch government which is The Hague.

The city has the highest museum density in the world
and is home to cultural highlights, such as the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank
House, Hermitage Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt’s world-famous Nightwatch.
Other
well known places of interest in Amsterdam are the Palace on the Dam, the Artis
Zoo, Jewish Historical Museum and the Rembrandt House.

The Basilica
of St. Nicholas is a Catholic church located in the Old Centre district of
Amsterdam.

Stamp

The Black-tailed
Godwit is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird.

Budapest is
the capital and the largest city of Hungary. The imposing Buda Castle
overlooks the city from its elevated position atop Várhegy (Castle Hill),
rising 48 meters above the Danube river. This was the residence of Hungarian
kings. The fortification system and palace, built in the 13th century following
the Mongol invasion, was destroyed and rebuilt many times.

Stamps

(left) In 2000 Hungary Post (Magyar Posta)
issued a large set of definitives, picturing antique chairs.

Belgrade is the capital of Serbia. With approximately
1.6 million residents it is the largest city. It is located at the
confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The Sava river is flowing
through Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and along the Bosnia-Herzegovina border.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The city is
situated on the south bank of the Ottawa River, and contains the mouths of
the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal. The canal was
opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States. It
remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating. It is the oldest continuously operated canal
system in North America, and in 2007 it was registered as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.

Stamps

The two corner stamps are from an 2013 issue “
Canadian Pride”. The stamp in the middle is a Queen Elizabeth II definitive.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Chișinău is the capital and largest city of the Republic Moldova.
Built of white stone this triumphal arch is similar in design to Paris’ Arc de
Triomphe but much smaller. The triumphal arch was built in 1841 as a gift from
the Russian Tsar Nikolai I. It is a symbol of the victory of Russia over Turkey
in the war of 1806-1812 and the liberation of the territory between the
Dniester and Prut rivers.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Kyrgyzstan, is a landlocked republic in the eastern part of Central Asia which is bordered in the north by Kazakhstan, in the east by China, in the south by China and Tajikistan, and in the west by Uzbekistan. Bishkek is the capital and largest city. Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country, more than half of Kyrgyzstan lies at an elevation higher than 2,500 m.

Ala-Too Square is Bishkek`s square located in the heart of the city, where all the important urban agencies and organizations are concentrated: the Government House, the city council, universities, business centers.

Monday, July 8, 2013

The majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located
in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This architectural
work of art is one of the world’s largest mosques, with a capacity for an
astonishing 41,000 worshippers. It features 82 domes, over a 1,000 columns, 24
carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world's largest hand knotted carpet. The
mosque was initiated by the late President of UAE, HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan
Al Nahyan.

Stamps

Joint stamp set commemorating Arab Postal Day 2008,
which highlights cooperation and communication among Arab States in the field
of postal services.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The Temple of Heaven in the southern part of Beijing is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings.

Built in 1420, the complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. The principle buildings include the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.

The Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO WHS site.

Stamps

(left) Xinjiang Ground Jay

(right) The stamp is one out of a set of eight stamps about fish that live only in the South China Sea.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

The Marshall Islands covers nearly a million square miles of picturesque islands, thriving coral atolls, and crystal clear blue waters. Located in the northern Pacific Ocean, the islands share maritime boundaries with the Federated States of Micronesia to the west, Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the south-east, and Nauru to the south.

Bikini Atoll is one of the 29 atolls and five islands that compose the Marshall Islands. In 1946, Bikini Atoll was the first site in the Marshall Islands used for nuclear-weapon testing by the United States.

Marshall Islanders are known throughout the Pacific and the world for their friendly and peaceful nature. A large part of the Marshallese culture is reflected in their traditional handicrafts (Amimono). These handicrafts are very unique and are produced by some of the finest weavers in the Pacific. Handicrafts are an important part of the economy of Marshall Islands.

Stamp

In January 2012, the Marshall Islands Postal Service issued seven stamps featuring Marine Animals. This one pictures a Long-nosed Butterflyfish.

Mount Fuji is with 3,776 meters Japan's highest mountain is located outside Tokyo on the island of Honshu. The nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshiped as a sacred mountain throughout the centuries. Mount Fuji is an active volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708.

The nickname of Mount Fuji is Konohana-Sakuahime which means "causing the blossom to bloom brightly," which referring to pink cherry blossoms which frame the snow-white mountain in the spring season.

In June 2010 Mt. Fuji was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Stamp

Hanshin Koshien Stadium. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on August 1, 1924.